COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man who allegedly attempted to rape a woman on a walking trail in Gahanna last November will spend more than nine years in prison.
Franklin County court records show Johnathan M. Steele, 27, pleaded guilty last week to one count each of kidnapping and attempted rape, as well as a firearm specification on the kidnapping charge. Steele was sentenced to two concurrent seven-year prison terms as well as an additional three years for the firearm charge; he had 339 days of jail time credit at the time of his sentencing
According to police, in early November of 2024, the victim was walking along a path near James Road and Big Walnut Creek when a shirtless man in a ski mask pointed a gun at her, saying “come with me or I’ll shoot you.” The man, later identified as Steele, began dragging the woman into the woods…